ANGELES CITY — Mayor Carmelo ‘Pogi’ Lazatin Jr. declared today, March 9, 2020, that this city will no longer celebrate women’s month instead the city will strive to hold women’s day everyday.
Lazatin said as part of his campaign promise the city will be offering free pap smear and breast examinations to women from all 33 barangays of the city.
He also mentioned that the City Government believes that providing help to women should be done daily, not only during Women’s Month.
“Gusto ko na ang siyudad ng Angeles ang natatanging siyudad na walang Women’s Month, dahil araw-araw ay Women’s Day,” he said.
Based on the instructions of the mayor, according to Executive Assistant IV Reina Manuel, the Gender and Development Office, led by Mina Cabiles, as well as the City Health Office will carry out the medical services, where a temporary mobile Puso Center will roam around barangays to provide breast examinations and pap smear.
According to Mayor Lazatin, contrary to the usual Women’s Month activities for beauty and wellness, the local government this year wants to cater to addressing women’s health – assuring every woman in the city receives proper breast examinations for preventive measures.
Mayor Lazatin further said this is the local government’s way to make medical services more accessible and readily available to everyone, since the data of the Population Development last year revealed that only 272 women from the City were able to avail free pap smear services.
To date, the target of the mobile Puso Center is to check 40 to 50 women from every barangay, or a total of 1,320 to 1,650 women.
“We will continue on with this program everyday,” Lazatin said.
Moreover, another target of the medical service is to continuously provide check ups for women in the entertainment industry, following Lazatin’s drive to offer them regular medical assistance.
“Nais nating i-intesify ang delivery ng ganitong service, in the hope that in time, lahat na ng kababaihan at hindi lamang iilan ay makapag-avail ng libreng pap smear at breast examination,” he said. —–